Metal fence-post and wire-fastening means therefor.



APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. I914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

.WITNESSES:-

HE NORRIS PETERS co.. PHOTOVLITIIO WASHINGTON. D. c.

T TES PAT *i ETQE.

HENRY L. LEILIGI-I AND FREDERICK BURGER, 0F DELPHOS, OHIO, ASSIG-NORS TO THE DELPHOS MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

015 OHIO.

OF DELPHOS, OHIO, A. CORPORATION Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Application filed March 27, 1914. Serial No. 827,528.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY L. LEILICH andFREDERIoK W. BURGER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Delphos, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new; and useful Metal Fence-Post and Wire-Fastening Means Therefor; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,-'clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it sive and durable fence post, which is formed of sheet-metal rolled or shaped in desired form in cross-section, of means for securing the spaced edges of the post together in rigid relation and for securing the fence wires to the post, such means being adjustable to suit the relative spacing of the fence wires.

A further object of the invention is the provision of simple and efiicient fastening means for fence wires, which is easy of ap plication and capable of adjustment relative to a post to clamp a wire thereto at one side or the other of the longitudinal center of the post,-as it may be desired to miss a vertical stay wire of the fence.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed dewhich has its inner side concaved attached thereto, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 y in Fig. 2, with the bolt in full.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a fence post which is made of sheet-metal, such for instance, as galvanized iron of suitable gage, which metal is so formed or shaped as to make the post hollow and preferably circular in cross-section, with the side edges of the metal spaced apart a suitable distance to provide a longitudinal slot 2 in one side of the post. The post is preferably longitudinally tapered, as is customary in articles of this class. The wire fastening means preferably employed in connection with this post comprises a clip 3 and a retaining bolt 4 therefor, which bolt has its shaft projected through the post slot 2 for free sliding movements lengthwise thereof.

The clip 3 preferably comprises a casting,

in crosssection to adapt it to seat against the post side to which it is firmly clamped by the bolt 4, which passes'through a central hole 5 therein. The clip 3 is provided at one side of its vertical center, preferably at each the upper and lower edges thereof, with a vertically projecting tongue 6, which is provided on its inner side with a cross-groove 7 for fitting over a line-wire 8 of a fence. The positioning of the tongue 6 in offset relation to the vertical center of the clip and to the post slot performs a two-fold function, namely, of enabling a wire to be clamped to the post at a side of its slot, and of enabling the tongues to be disposed at either side of the post slot upon a half turning of the clip around the bolt 4: for such purpose, to effect a gripping of a wire at one side or the other of the slot, as it may be desired to escape a vertical stay-wire 9 of the fence, thus rendering the clip flexible in its application. It may happen that a stay wire of a fence will be directly in line with the securing tongues 6, which would cause some injury to the fence to permit a fastening thereof if it were not possible to shift the clip so that the tongues would stand on the opposite side of the bolt to the that while a wire held thereby cannot become disengaged from the post, it is free to move horizontally under varying temperature conditions or from mechanical causes.

Theinner side of the clip is preferably provided with a recess or countersink 10 provided therein in complemental relation to the bolt head P to permit the registering edge portions of themetal forming the post to be drawn into the recess by the bolt head upon a tightening of the bolt, as shoWn at 11 in Fig. 4:. The interengaging of the post metal with the clip in this manner not only holds the clip in fixed relation to the post and prevents a sagging of the line-wires, butalso serves to lock the edge portions of the post metal against outward movements, thereby being quite an important feature in connection with a post of the character described. Should the bolt head and recess 10 be of rectangular form, the bolt shank and hole 5 in the clip are preferably made square to prevent a relative turning of the. clip and bolt to insure a true registering of the bolt head and recess. WVhen the clips are all fastened the shaft of the post is practically one continuous piece.

It is evident that the clips may be adjusted longitudinally of a post to suit the positions of the line wires of a fence, and that the wire engaging tongues maybe fixed atone side or the other of the post slot as it may be desired to, escape a stay wire of the fence. 7

We wish it understood that our invention is not limited to any specific construction, form or arrangement of the parts except in so far as, such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,--

'1. The combination with a fence post having bearing surfaces which are spaced transversely thereof, of a wire holding clip secured to one side of said post and provided with wire engaging tongues projecting therefrom in opposite directions longitudinally of the post and transversely oifset from the space intermediate the post bearing surfaces, said clip being adjustable to place said tongues into gripping coaction with either of said bearing surfaces.

2. The combination with a fencepost having a bolt receiving opening in a side thereof. and a bearing surface at each side'of said opening, of a wire holding clip extending across said opening transversely of the post Copies of this patent may be obtained for andhaving a bolt receiving opening in register with the post opening, said 'clip also having wire engaging tongues projecting therefrom in opposite directions longitudinally of the post and offset fromthe clip opening transversely of the post, the clip being shiftable to place said tongues 1n clamping coaction with one or the other of said bearing surfaces, and means projecting through said clip and post openings 'for securing the clip in position relative to the post.

3. In combination, a fence post formed of sheet-metal with the-longitudinal edges of said metal spaced to form a slot lengthwise .of the post, a wire securing clip for seating against a side of the post cross-wise of the slot and having a recess in its-inner side, and means projecting through the clip'and post slot for securing the clip in adjusted position to the post and for drawing edge portions of the post at the sides ofthe slot 7 into said recess.

4. In combination, a fence-post formed of sheet-metal with the edges of said metal spaced to provide a slot lengthwise of the post, a wire engaging clip for" seating against the post crosswiseof the slot and.

having a hole therein and a recess at its inner side, anda bolt projected through said hole and the post slot and. adapted when tightened to clamp the'clip in adjusted relation to the post andito draw registering edge portions ofthe post metal into said recess.

5. In combination, a fence-post of sheetmetal with the edges of said metal spaced to provide a'slot lengthwise of the post,a wire engaging clip for seating against the post crosswise of the slot and having a hole therein anda. recessat its inner side, and

a bolt projected through said hole and the post slot and adapted when tightenedto clamp the clip in adjusted relation to the ppst and to .draw registeringedge portions 0 the fi-ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent! washington n. 0.

post metal into said recess, said clip having vertically projecting wire engaging 

